


The Heart is Hard to Translate

by quilleth



Series: Tea for Two [4]
Category: Seven Kingdoms: The Princess Problem (Visual Novel)
Genre: Mutual Pining, Pining, period drama esque hand touching, spoilers for the extended demo, week 5 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:29:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23728336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quilleth/pseuds/quilleth
Summary: In which feelings are inconvenient and uncomfortable things, and Elisabeth would much rather not have had that realization
Relationships: Jasper/Jiyel Scholar
Series: Tea for Two [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1272416
Comments: 6
Kudos: 3





	The Heart is Hard to Translate

Heart pounding slightly from the surprise of suddenly appearing ink wells and an even stealthier butler, Elisabeth tried to keep her face straight as she asked, “Were you standing there, reading the whole time then?”

Looking affronted, Jasper straightened. “Of course not! I would never betray your privacy in such a way.”

Unable to keep a perfectly straight face now, Elisabeth replied, “Not even for the sake of history?”

"…Are you teasing me?"

Elisabeth laughed. "You ask that as though no one has ever dared do such a thing before!”

"No one has."

"Well, it was certainly time then wasn’t it! I’m certain I tease you on a daily basis, at least; surely you must be getting used to it by now!” she grinned up at him.

Smiling that peculiar little smile he had, Jasper began, “You are…” before trailing off thoughtfully.

Elisabeth turned to face him better, propping her elbows on the back of her chair, and said “Trying to find the right superlatives to describe me are you?”

"…Very difficult," Jasper supplied, meeting her gaze with a slight shake of his head.

She laughed again. "You wouldn’t be the first to say so, and I dare say you shan’t be the last, Jasper!”

Jasper’s smile shifted into a frown, his voice concerned. “My lady…your fingers.”

"What?! what?!" Elisabeth said, checking her hands over until she saw the ink smudged on her fingers. "Oh bother! Where did I put that dratted handkerchief?” She patted at her pockets, growling in frustration when they turned up empty.

Jasper surprised her by producing a handkerchief from his pocket and taking her hand in his. “Allow me.”

"What? Oh no, Jasper you don’t have…to…" she trailed off, watching, wide eyed as, with immense concentration and gentleness, Jasper carefully wiped the ink from her hand. Elisabeth held perfectly still, feeling somehow both like the rabbit suddenly being spotted by a hound, afraid to move lest it should draw more attention to itself, and also like the hunter, afraid to move lest they should startle the rabbit. Of course holding so preternaturally still only made her more acutely aware that though her hand was now free of ink, Jasper had not released it, a fact which seemed equally startling to him when he suddenly pulled away, shaking his head to clear it of some train of thought.

"I- forgive me my lady,” he said, stepping abruptly away.

"Jasper," Elisabeth croaked, her voice suddenly difficult to find.

"I have other duties to attend to. Excuse me Lady Elisabeth.” Jasper hurried to the door.

Scrambling to get out of her chair without tripping over her skirts Elisabeth called after him, but he ignored her protests, the door shutting behind him with a snap. She stared at the door, hand raised, heart pounding in her throat. Jasper…how had she never realized… The warmth of Jasper’s gentle ministrations lingered as her thoughts whirled in a confused, flustered tangle. How had they gone from playful banter to…this? Whatever this was?  


"Oh!" she surprised herself uttering the little sob, bringing her hands to her chest as she slumped back into her chair. Of all the people here she had to go and fall in love with the one person with whom it was forbidden. _And that’s what it is_ , she realized, sniffling, _love_. She had been denying any attachment beyond friendship, though it had struck her before how very much she had come to rely on Jasper. Not to keep her on schedule or chaperone her to visits with her friends, or bring her tea, or even to pretend it didn’t hurt when she stepped on his foot during dancing practices. No, she had come to rely on the quiet resolute support he offered and the amused glint in his eyes when he was trying not to laugh, the solicitude not for her comfort but for her happiness. The feeling that she was valued for herself, Elisabeth, not for her role as delegate Lady Elisabeth of Jiyel.

And she had adamantly insisted that it was simple friendship all this time, because what else could she do? For one thing, surely any affection Jasper held towards her was as his charge, albeit a more amusing and curious one than usual. There was certainly no way he could return her feelings, and why would he? she mused. What had she done other than cause trouble? _And even if he did…No, that thought does not bear dwelling on!_ "Oh this is ridiculous!” Elisabeth scrubbed furiously at her cheeks with her hand. "Of all the times to get twitter pated..! I do not have time for this!"

Viciously snatching her traitorous handkerchief from where it had taken itself off to (used as a bookmark in one of the books she’d smuggled form the small library the day before) she was in the process of wiping her face and attempting to gain some modicum of composure when someone knocked on her door. She stared at it, he heart lodging most uncomfortably in her throat and making her voice quaver as she answered, "Yes? who is it?”

"Your favorite brother! Let me in Lizzie, do. It’s been ages since we’ve been able to talk properly."

Elisabeth exhaled shakily, feeling even more frustrated with herself as she called back. "Don’t let Remi hear you say that, he might take offense.”

Grinning, Noah replied, leaning in the doorway, “Fine, your favorite older brother then.” On seeing Elisabeth, red eyed with blotchy cheeks, he hurried forwards asking, “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost! Are you ill?”

Elisabeth laughed weakly. "As if you know what I’d look like if I’d seen a ghost. I’m fine Noah, really. Please don’t worry."

He frowned at her, examining her closely. "It’s stress. All the stress and pressure from last week’s trial,” he growled the word, still irritated she’d had to do all that work without asking for help, “and now you’re acting in that stupid play! You need a break, Lizzie, that’s what you need.” He smiled at her and offered his arm. "How about a walk in the gardens? You could use the fresh air and the sunshine."

"A walk in the gardens sounds lovely,” Elisabeth replied, linking her arms through his and leaning her head on his shoulder for a minute. "Yes…I think you must be right…the stress must be getting to me, that’s all." 

"Sunshine and fresh air should help with that then!” Noah said brightly, a little furrow in his brow as they wandered together to find the gardens.

Elisabeth decided then to leave all her jumbled up feelings squashed somewhere they couldn’t bother her and continue to cause problems, straightening her spine as she pushed the memories to the back of her mind. "Yes of course. Sunshine makes everything better. Let’s go!"

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for 7kpp week 2018, but I apparently never posted it here, most likely because i only got a couple of the prompts done. This scene kicks me in the feels every single time I play it and is originally what made me switch to playing Jasper's route in the first place!
> 
> The title is from "All This and Heaven Too" by Florence and the Machine, which is one of the songs I tend to associate with Elisabeth


End file.
